Sunday, September 18, 2022

RECORDED MESSAGES FRUSTRATE

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

        Accountability for January 6th Insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Are more of the American people beginning to realize the threat to turn our form of government into an autocracy by using fear and intimidation of possible  violence by those inciting a civil war?


Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms died at age 96 years, 8 September 2022, Balmoral Castle Scotland.  She reigned 70 years.

                

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Dull moments seldom appear in my household.  I always have something to either demand my attention or I am attracted to engaging in numerous other activities that give me pleasure.

Wonders never change -- last week I was writing of our unusual excessively hot humid temperatures.   Now, thanks to that rare Hurricane Kay coming up our Pacific Coast from Mexico our heat wave ended.   Kay became a lesser tropical storm after colliding with a high-pressure system from the north resulting in our experiencing very welcome but unusual cooler temperatures.  Never mind, we're promised some hotter weather again before our summer ends.

The dreaded mud slides in previously burned forest fire areas have brought devastation but not to my community.   I shudder when I view TV news reports here and around the world of those driven from their homes or worse, thanks to the vagaries of climate change.

Long-promised and even longer awaited conversion to fiber-optic internet service has finally come to our neighborhood and more specifically my home.  Even my landline phone service transmission is now changed to the internet with an 8-hour backup battery should my electricity ever cease.  

The scenario wasn't that efficient leading up to the installation of this fiber-optic change but that only took several hours for the technician to accomplish one afternoon this past week.  Granted for that final actual change I didn't have to do anything, but somehow, I always seem to feel almost as tired as if I had done the labor.  I don't recall feeling that way when I was younger so wonder if that is just me, or is it an aging thing?   Oh, and another thing, why does everything always happen at once instead of occurring on different days?

The previous week I was busy getting exhausted as the young men working in my garage replaced by hot water heater.  In the midst of all this came my phone company agent to discuss my ordering installation of their fiber-optic system for internet and phone.   He had no printed material to leave with me to review and consider later.   We took a photo of his working rate form and particulars with my iPhone for my convenience.  

I phoned the agent the first of the week, discussed further installation matters and placed my order.  He immediately connected us with a third party to initiate the change portion taking place by phone which took about a half hour.  

As luck would have it, at the end of that process there was a glitz resulting in my having to call their customer service number.   I was apprehensive since I had gone through that process a week or so earlier which became one of those recorded message nightmares.  The message was:  "We're working quickly to answer your call, but it is taking a little bit longer than normal and someone will be with you soon."  

That time they eventually said there would be a 45-minute delay.  I could hold or they would call me when the customer service agent was available.  I optioned the call-back which came after 45 minutes but I still had to hold again.  No offer for a call-back as before.  Totally exasperated after another 45 minutes passed just as I was about to hang up a real live person answered.  What kind of weird system was that?

This time I wasn't offered the call-back option, had to hold 45 minutes again, became exasperated again and was ready to disconnect just as a service representative answered.  Turns out there was no need for me to call them but I had no way of knowing that then.  

My on-site installation occurred several days later as scheduled -- new line to my house and all the changes inside accomplished by the technician in a few hours.  

My landline phone now goes through the internet, has an 8-hour backup battery if the electric power shuts down.  I can't see that the internet speed on my computer is any faster than what I had, but I'll see.

Isn't progress wonderful!





15 comments:

  1. Ramana Rajgopaul9/18/2022 4:15 AM

    Your experience with phone in customer service is not unusual. Just about every one now goes through it as, human beings have been replaced by automated machines and only in the most extreme of cases humans come on line. Any way, it ended well for you but, I am still grappling with one problem, not however connected to my phones. I have a highspeed network connection at home which comes with a telephone connection but, I have opted not to use the landline as my mobile suffices for my needs. I use the wifi connection for my cellphone too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't decided yet if it's worthwhile to me to keep my phone line now. I haven't been able to find out where a 911 call would go -- to my city or nearby community which is partly why I kept the old landline in the first place.

      Delete
  2. They call them landlines but they're really not. Not like we've had in the past that are independent of the power company or WiFi, etc.

    I really don't understand what the people who want to destroy our democracy think they will gain, all the foot soldiers doing the actual violence for a man who will turn his back on them on a dime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As for what they'll gain, I think it's all about money, power and control. It certainly isn't about freedom and benefits for the ordinary person.

      Delete
  3. I refuse to hold for someone any longer than about 15 minutes. If I'm still holding, I'll look for some other way of contacting the company or find some other solution to my problem. To expect people to wait 45 minutes for assistance is insane. Another way in which the world is going backwards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was no other way or entity that could address the matter for my call to my phone company.

      Not sure who the comment is from but expect you just forgot to add your I.D. since I typically don't publish Anon comments.

      Delete
  4. The comment wasn't from anonymous, it was from me. I must have forgotten to amend my default profile before I posted the comment.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So glad you got a break from the miserable heat but like you, we did also only to face high nineties all of next week. Sigh.
    We are being faced with threats from our former president as he promises "big problems like we have never seen before" if he is indicted.
    Hate those long waits on the phone. Still living with a landline here as we have no cell service.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you cool down again soon.
      There are still many areas in our country awaiting the updating of their phone systems as you describe.

      Delete
  6. Customer service is a rarity these days. I detest phone menus and holding for what seems like an eternity. Technology was supposed to make things easier and more efficient.

    Every day that the treasonous insurrectionist is allowed free to hold these fascist assemblies is an overt and obvious threat to our democracy and our security. It's frustrating and dangerous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Technology does seem to be easier, but for who -- not the customer.

      I became impatient waiting for justice to prevail to end the fascist activities.

      Delete
  7. These places are all about profit and severely understaffed. I gave up recently on a fraudulent charge on my Visa of $100, days and days of waiting then to be told I had to email the fraudulent company and on and on and on. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say I have suffered this $100 fraud to save my sanity and my blood pressure. It already took 3 days of my time.
    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That amount of loss would really be frustrating. Wish you had been able to retrieve your $$$.

      Delete
  8. I'm really worried about the number of Americans who still follow Trump like a cult leader. It's a scary situation that they are glued to the conspiracy QAnon path to destroying our democracy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There does seem to be a block of people who blindly accept and follow everything he says including his many lies and the conspiracy theories. Equally worrisome are all those people, especially in our legislative branches, other local and federal government positions who privately know better but lack the courage to publicly oppose him.

      Delete